India faces more rate hikes: analysts

2010-03-21T00:15:39Z

<div><p>India's central bank looks set to tighten monetary policy further after raising interest rates for the first time in nearly two years as it bids to check spiralling inflation, economists say.</p><p>In a move that surprised experts, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked short-term rates from record lows late Friday to battle near double-digit annual i...

China inflation goal tough but reachable: official

2010-03-20T04:30:04Z

<div><p>BEIJING (Reuters) - China's 2010 inflation goal of 3 percent is tough but achievable, with good grain supplies and excess capacity helping keep prices down, while growth should hit 8 or 9 percent, senior government advisers told a conference on Saturday.</p><p>The chief economist of the Reuters) - Labor market and consumer prices data on Thursday showed the U.S. economy is on a moderate growth path and inflation pressures are contained, backing up the Federal Reserve's vow to keep benchmark interest rates ultra-low for some time.</p><p>Initia...

Japanese land prices fall at fastest pace in five years

2010-03-18T09:16:10Z

<div><p>Japanese land prices fell at the fastest pace for five years in 2009, as the nation's weak economy struggles with another bout of deflation, official data said Thursday.</p><p>Costs across the country fell 4.6 percent on average, the land ministry said in its annual land price survey, the biggest drop since 2004, when they fell by 5.0 percent.</p><p>The country's core consumer prices also logged the 11th straight month of decline in January, as the cou...

February consumer prices flat on lower energy costs

2010-03-18T08:15:47Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumer prices were unexpectedly unchanged in February as a drop in energy costs was offset by higher food and medical care costs, a government report showed on Thursday, backing up the Federal Reserve's commitment to ultra low interest rates.</p><p>The Labor Department said its seasonally adjusted

US consumer prices flat in February

2010-03-18T07:15:59Z

<div><p>US consumer prices were flat in February, restrained by lower fuel prices, the government said Thursday.</p><p>The consumer price index, a measure of the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by households, was unchanged from 0.2 percent in January, the Labor Department said.</p><p>Most analysts had expected a 0.1 percent rise in February.</p><p>Core inflation -- excluding food and energy -- rose 0.1 percent as expected a...

CONSUMER PRICES

2010-03-18T07:16:48Z

Chart shows percent change in the Consumer Price Index from prior month, seasonally adjusted

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Producer prices post biggest drop in 7 months

2010-03-17T06:45:26Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Producer prices fell more steeply than expected in February, posting their biggest drop in seven months as energy costs tumbled, according to a government report on Wednesday that pointed to scant inflation pressures.</p><p>The Labor Department said the seasonally adjusted index for prices paid at the farm and factory gate fell 0.6 percent, the largest decline since July, foll...

Ahead of the Bell: Producer Prices

2010-03-17T04:30:07Z

<div id="subtitle">Economists expect wholesale prices to dip slightly in February reflecting lower energy costs</div><div><p>Economists expect that wholesale prices fell in February, reflecting declines in both energy and food costs.</p><p>Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect wholesale costs dipped by 0.2 percent. The Labor Department will release its Producer Price In...

Bank of Japan frees up cash, keeps rate near zero

2010-03-17T04:16:32Z

<div><p>Japan's central bank doubled the amount of cash it will make available to banks Wednesday while keeping interest rates at a record low as it tries to kickstart a stuttering economic recovery.</p><p>Under government pressure to help fight deflation, the Bank of Japan said it would extend emergency steps taken in December by boosting its short-term loan facility to 20...

BoE unanimous in freezing interest rates

2010-03-17T04:16:18Z

<div><p>Bank of England policymakers were unanimous in their decision to maintain record-low interest rates earlier this month, minutes from the meeting showed on Wednesday.</p><p>The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 9-0 in favour of keeping its key rate at 0.50 percent at the last meeting held on March 3-4.<...

Bank of Japan expands lending to fight deflation

2010-03-17T04:15:14Z

<div id="subtitle">Japan central bank expands lending to fight deflation, holds interest rates</div><div><p>Japan's central bank is escalating the fight against deflation by offering more cheap loans to banks.</p><p>In a split decision, the Bank of Japan's policy board decided Wednesday to double the amount available under its short-term lending program to 20 tr...

Eurozone inflation drop to 0.9% confirmed

2010-03-16T04:16:02Z

<div><p>Annual inflation fell slightly in the 16-nation eurozone to 0.9 percent in February, the first drop since last summer, official figures confirmed Tuesday.</p><p>The small drop from the 1.0 percent inflation rate recorded by the EU's Eurostat data agency in January was confirmed by the EU's Eurostat statistics bureau, following a flash estimate early in the...

Bank of Japan meet begins, considers fresh steps

2010-03-16T00:16:06Z

<div><p>Japan's central bank began a two-day monetary policy meeting Tuesday amid speculation it may announce fresh emergency measures to spur an economic recovery hobbled by deflation and weak demand.</p><p>The Bank of Japan is widely expected to hold interest rates unchanged at 0.1 percent -- a rock-bottom rate it has kept since December 2008, during the worst of the glob...

Record number of Chinese unhappy over inflation

2010-03-15T23:15:09Z

<div><p>BEIJING (Reuters) - More than one in two Chinese savers regard the current inflation rate as unacceptable, according to a central bank survey on Tuesday that is likely to fan official concern about deteriorating inflation expectations.</p><p>Consumer prices rose 2.7 percent in the year to February, up from 1.5 percent in January and flirting with the gov...

China tightening fears send Asian markets lower

2010-03-15T03:15:49Z

<div><p>Speculation that China will take more steps to cool its economy hit sentiment in Asia Monday, with Shanghai and Hong Kong lower as risk-averse investors stayed on the sidelines.</p><p>Trade was relatively quiet ahead of meetings this week by ...

Chinese inflation hits the consumer

2010-03-12T19:15:23Z

<div id="subtitle">Will increase the social and political pressure for a rate hike in the near term</div><div><p>We talked a little bit about a near-term increase in the Yuan. Inflation pressure appears to be moving from producer prices to CPI. This puts pressure on the government for a rise in interest rates as well as a gradual revaluation up. Probably one of the more interesting financial stories to watch unfold. </p><p>To continue reading please click her...

China's consumer prices soar in February

2010-03-11T03:15:45Z

<div><p>Chinese consumer prices rose for the fourth month running in February while new lending slowed sharply, data showed Thursday, as the government campaigns to tame inflation in the booming economy.</p><p>Analysts said the jump would not trigger a knee-jerk response from policymakers in the world's third-largest economy but the figures raised the prospect of more drastic tightening measures later in the year.</p><p>The consumer price index, the main gauge...

China's inflation continues to rise

2010-03-11T01:16:32Z

<div><p>Chinese consumer prices rose for the fourth straight month in February while new lending slowed sharply, data showed Thursday, adding pressure on Beijing to fulfill its vow to control inflation.</p><p>Analysts said the jump in prices would not trigger a knee-jerk response from policymakers in the world's third-largest economy but the figures raised the prospect of more drastic tightening measures later in the year.<...

New data show weaker recovery in Japan

2010-03-11T00:16:48Z

<div><p>Japan's economy is recovering more slowly than previously thought from its worst recession on record, hobbled by stubborn deflation and weak domestic demand, government data showed Thursday.</p><p>The world's number two economy expanded at a pace of 0.9 percent in October-December from the previous quarter, revised down from an initial estimate of 1.1 percent growth, the government said.</p><p>Gross domestic pr...

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